Victory Speech

Dear fellow SPA members,

Thank you for electing me president of the Student Planning Association. After a hard fought campaign, we won the popular vote and the super delegates. We can enter a new phase in SPA, one that is filled with more participation and action by our members.
I envision a SPA filled with enthusiasm. We have so many opportunities for action. Many have given ideas for an auction, a garden plot, a dog show, and a year book. These are all wonderful ideas that will help our group achieve its goals of inclusion and progress. In addition, I propose that we enter the new SPA year with a new organizing scheme: action groups. So much of the past activities have come from the leadership. I support the addition of action groups that are created by SPA members for a planning-related activity they want to participate in. If you want to study African Americans in planning, you can do that. If you want to volunteer at the St. Francis house, that's possible too. SPA leadership can serve to help coordinate your needs and get people involved. People know what works and what they want. It also contributes to sustainability.
I would like to thank my campaign managers Caleb and Jeff, as well as Katie, Allison, and Kalanit for giving me good ideas. Thank you.

Ahoy!

So I volunteered to play a role at a Pirate Dinner-Mystery pirate. So, to be true to myself, I went big instead of going home. I bought my costume (which will be part of my Halloween costume now, thanks to the price) and was ready.

Big Hair, bandana, sword, eye patch, cape, and hook. I was ready and accessorized.

The party was awkward at time. The patch and the wig hurt my head, and my vision was unusual. Eating became a chore with the eye patch on. I also felt awkward with the glue in the hook that kept peeling off and making my hand sticky and smelly. I did use my newly acquired bargaining and negotiation skills to gain information from people and having one of the serving wenches (that was their title in the story) get me a drink and rolls with butter. Overall, it was a good time.

But what's next? I have a big wig. Why stop there?

For some pirate vocab, see below. It may be fun to drop it in class, work, or at home. Maybe they'll come back in style.
http://www.nightofmystery.com/Mateys-Dictionary.pdf

Happy Easter!

I thought you might like this website link. It is about a peep diorama contest the Washington Post put on. Enjoy this, and the following video that actually has nothing to do with Easter.
http://www.yumsugar.com/1137185

Peep Wars for Easter! A How-To Guide

So, for Easter I continued a time-honored tradition: Peep wars.
It's the modern alternative to cock fights.

What you do is you take two peeps, preferably of two different colors, and you put them on a plate like below:

Then you put them in the microwave and set the timer for ten seconds.

You wait at the microwave--with the doors closed--and watch to see which of the peeps got bigger and overpowered the other. My color was purple, my friend's was green. Unfortunately, green won every time. You can see the results afterward below:

Please no Michael Vick jokes about the extra melted peeps.

Happy Easter Everybody!!!

Important Announcement

I, Chad Riding, declare my intention to run for president of SPA.

More information and a better picture are to come.

This message was approved by the Chad Riding for SPA President Committee.

Sour Grapes? Never!

My sister says that 25 is the age of bitterness. Tomorrow, March 7, I turn 25.

And I will not be bitter!

But how? Positive Mental Attitude? Maybe. Performing acts of service for others? Probably not. Aroma therapy and spa treatments? no way.

My strategy: sweet, sweet candy.

Duck, Dip, Dive, and Dodge

These are the four D's of dodgeball.

So I played dodgeball in my church dodgeball tournament yesterday. And I must say that I did fairly well for myself. I was actually the last one to get out at the game. That is to say, we sucked and lost every game we played. But the fact that I was the last one to get out probably tells more about the other team than myself.

Why?
I played without my glasses on. And I can't see the giant E at the top of the eye chart at the doctor's office with my glasses off.

I mean, it's not as if I was a moving target. I basically stayed there will blury balls of blue and orange swooshed past me. I just had to move slightly to avoid them. And I got two of the blurs out (I couldn't even recognize if they were boys or girls).

If you're played on by Chad in a sport, you know it's sad.

Below: Dodgeball getting fierce in the UK dodgeball association.